


The Best Decision I Ever Made

by orphan_account



Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: Dogs, Established Relationship, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Romance, Transphobia, Watching the Sunset
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 12:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11828343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "It was times like this when I could say for certain that moving to Maple Bay was one of the best decisions I'd ever made."A oneshot about Damien and my friend's dadsona, Logan.





	The Best Decision I Ever Made

  
When Amanda left for college, I was true to my word. I got a dog- a small, extremely energetic black Labrador named Noodle from the animal shelter. Damien helped me muddle through the adoption process and we proceeded to spend the next hour and a half looking at cute dog shit in the nearest pet store together (if it wasn't for me Damien probably would've ended up buying another dog).

 

When we got home, Damien announced that he was going to stay the night in order to help keep Noodle a little more grounded. "Dogs are always excitable around new people," he'd explained, "Since he already knows me, having a familiar face will calm him down a little." 

I definitely raised an eyebrow at this, since at that moment Noodle seemed to be anything but calm. The only time he stood still was when one of us was petting him and we couldn't even get him into the bed we'd bought for him. He ended up sleeping on my bed in between me and Damien and ended up waking us both up at about five o'clock in the morning with his incessant yapping. I pulled my pillow over my head to try and block out the noise, groaning and rolling over. 

I'm pretty sure I fell asleep again because the next thing I knew was my clock saying that it was almost half past eleven in the morning and there was a note on my bedside table from Damien saying that he had to go and that there were pancakes waiting for me in the kitchen.  _God, I love him._

 

\--

I was surprised by how little time it took for Damien to start coming over to my house without invitation. I didn't mind of course, but I think he was partially coming over for the dog and not for me. I learnt a lot about him just from that. He'd come over and we'd have dinner on the couch watching several episodes of whatever we found on tv that we both didn't mind. Noodle was already asleep by now, so we had the evening (well, the night) to ourselves. As it got later Damien would usually become more tired and more cuddly, resting his head on my shoulder and wrapping an arm around my waist as we watched some kind of foreign cooking show that neither of us had heard of before. He yawned and I smiled, gently running my fingers through his hair; and before you ask, no I'm still not over how soft his hair is.

"May I ask you a question?" he said softly, seemingly only half-concentrating on what was on the screen.

"Sure."

"When you lost your husband... Was it hard on you?"

"Well, of course, but-"

"No, was it... Draining?"

I was silent for a while, unsure how to answer. After a few moments, I shrugged, turning the TV off so I could focus on our conversation and replying, "What do you mean?"

 

 

Damien sighed, sitting up and fiddling with the ends of his sleeves. "After Henry left us, I... Picked up some unhealthy habits," he said, "I began smoking, I stopped going outside, I completely gave up wearing the things I wanted to wear and doing the things I enjoyed doing. By this time I knew I wasn't... Well, female and both that and the stress from knowing that I'd have to bring up Lucien by myself... It got a bit much for me." He went quiet for a few moments and I pulled him in for a hug, allowing him to bury his face into the crook of my neck. It was then that I realise he was crying, hands shaking as his fingers gripped my shirt as if I was about to run away. "He was only five when it happened," he said through his tears, "He never got to grow up with a proper family..." He pulled away, taking a handkerchief out of his waistcoat pocket and wiping his eyes with it, smudging a little eyeliner across his face. "Sometimes I wonder if that's why Lucien is how he is... If he does all these things because I did them."

"I'm sure he doesn't-"

"I don't know why I put him through that, Logan," he told me, chipping at his nail varnish as he spoke, "One moment he's got a perfectly normal family and the next he's down to..." He gestured vaugely to himself, "...This. I just can't imagine how he felt, how weird it was for him to find out the only person he had all his life wasn't... Well, his mom."

I take his hands and he looks up at me. "Lucien loves you," I said, "More than anything else. He doesn't show it, and he's a pain in the ass sometimes but I promise you, he adores you and wants nothing more than your happiness."

 

Damien went quiet, pushing his hair out of his face and tucking it behind an ear. "You really think so?"

"I know so," I said, squeezing his hands in mine, "You're an amazing dad," I told him "And your son is so lucky to have you." I smiled and kissed his forehead as he hugged me once again, his breath tickling my neck.

"Thank you, Logan," he said, "You have no idea what that means to me."

 

\--

 

Damien was the absolute definition of romantic. He made me bouquets almost monthly, each one coming with a small handwritten key to explain what everything meant. When he took me out, he made sure everything was perfect- it was really quite sweet, particularly since my dates I took him on were mundane and often ended in us eating junk food in front of the TV. However, one thing never changed when we went on dates, and that was our visits to the cemetery.

We'd been doing this since our first proper date when I'd taken him to the theatre (a house tour isn't really a date to be honest) and each trip was more romantic than the last. It was a chance to be completely at peace with nothing but eachother and the stars in the sky to keep us company. 

We'd always bring a bottle of wine and some food with us, sitting down on a blanket and looking over the rest of Maple Bay, just as we did the first time he'd taken me here. Sometimes we spent only thirty minutes there, sometimes we'd be there for hours. One particular time we accidently almost stayed there overnight.

Ok, so hear me out. It wasn't planned. I may be pretty damn stupid and Damien may like his Victorian shit, but neither of us are dumb enough to have actually stayed out in a graveyard for eight hours in the middle of March.

 

We'd already been out to dinner that evening, complete with a few drinks beforehand. Neither of us were particularly heavy drinkers but we thought it would be nice to go down to the cemetary and open up a bottle of red to finish our date. I don't think either of us were expecting to get through the whole bottle, but I kept topping up his glass and he kept topping up mine without either of us asking to. It couldn't have been long before it was all gone and the two of us were tipsier than usual, laying down on the blanket facing eachother and laughing whenever we made direct eye contact. Yep, we'd definitely had too much to drink. 

Damien shuffled closer to me, smiling as I tucked his hair behind his ear. We don't speak for a while. He gently stroked my knuckles with his thumb, leaning his forehead against mine and closing his eyes. "Logan?" he asked softly.

"Hm?"

"Do you love me?"

"Yeah."

"Yes, but do you _love_ love me?" He opened his eyes, suddenly looking dead serious. "Are you  _in love_  with me?" I nod, tightening my grip on his hand and his smile widens. "Good." The next thing I knew was his lips against mine as he kissed me- softly and slowly at first but gradually speeding up, rolling on top of me and cupping my face in his hands. We kissed for a good few minutes and when he pulled away I couldn't help but chuckle to myself slightly as he pressed a gentle kiss to the area between my brows before rolling back off of me and laying on his back. I took his hand once again and we both look up at the sky. It was a clear night; not a cloud in sight to cover the stars. "They're really pretty tonight," I observed, probably sounding a little drunker than I thought I did. 

"They are, aren't they?" Damien laughed softly. There's a short silence before he asked, "Do you know much about astronomy?"

It was my turn to laugh then as I shook my head, answering, "Nope. I know that Orion is a thing, but that's only because it was in one of the Men in Black movies." He chuckled, leaning his head on my shoulder as I pointed to the sky. "Look at that, man."

He sat up and squinted a little at the sky. "What is it?"

"Those stars look like a dick."

He squinted a little harder, adjusting the way he was sitting so that he was looking at it from the same angel that I was. His eyes widened a little and he grinned. "I do believe you're right," he said, laying back down beside me. 

We were silent for a while, laying hand in hand on the picnic blanket. I don't remember if we actually spoke at all after that, but I do remember that before I knew it, I was opening my eyes to the sound of birdsong and the sweet smell of breakfast pastries. I rub my eyes and sit up, smiling when I realise I'm laying down in a familiar bedroom, black silk sheets pulled over my body and my clothes from the previous night had been replaced with one of Damien's nightshirts. I turned to see him sitting beside me in bed, a tray on his lap with two tea cups, a teapot filled with steaming liquid (I assumed tea) and a plate of croissants. I graoned and strecthed, wincing a little as I heard something in my back click.

"Did you make these?" I asked, to which Damien shook his head.

"No, it's all store bought," he said, "I don't really have time to bake anymore." I chuckled as he handed me a plate and a teacup, kissing my cheek as he did.

"Kids, right?"

 

\--

 

Damien had always been very private about his body. I knew he was trans, and I'd sat him down one afternoon asking him about dysphoria and all that, just so I understood it and so that he could be open about it with me. I knew that he wasn't 100% confident with being undressed around me, and he sure as hell wasn't ready for sex which of course I was perfectly fine with.

Actually, come to think of it, Damien didn't really open up to me at all about the past. Apart from that one time that he spoke to me about how tough it had been for him after Henry died, he generally didn't talk about much that happened before we met. I'd only brought it up once, and he'd quickly explained that he just liked to 'live in the now', so to speak. I was cool with it. He didn't seem comfortable talking about the past so I didn't make him, but I told him that if he ever did, I'd be right there for him. Respecting eachother's boundaries and giving unconditional love and support is so fucking hot, man. That's my kink right there. 

There was only one problem with this: every time I was in a room alone with Lucien, he would always ask me if Damien had told me about 'the thing' or 'you know'. Every time I said no, and that little shit would just grin at me like he was mocking me (which he probably was). Deep down, I think Lucien's a good kid, and even deeper down he's the spawn of Satan. I tried to not let it bother me, but when it was happening almost every time I was in Damien's home I couldn't help but be annoyed by it. But still, I wasn't going to ask about it, not if Damien didn't want me to.

 

Most of our time together consisted of Damien accompanying me on my walks with Noodle, since they happened daily and it was the easiest way for us to get time to ourseleves without any interruptions. He'd always bring more treats than necessary and we'd end up using one of his (too many) toys to play fetch with (and before you ask, Damien bought most of them. That shit's more expensive than you'd think). It was times like this when Damien was really in his element; hell, something told me that Noodle liked him more than he liked me. Even so, it was just heartwarming, watching him kneeling in the grass beside Noodle and rubbing her belly with the sweetest smile on his face.  _Holy crap, I love this man so much._

We'd walk him back from the park hand in hand, sometimes talking and sometimes just enjoying eachother's company in silence. We'd part ways at his house, sharing a kiss before waving goodbye as I walked around the cul-de-sac back home.

 

Damien never missed these walks, not without letting me know that he would (and apologising several times) first. Sometimes this was because of work, sometimes because something had come up at the animal shelter and once because of something that Lucien had done. I wished I could go with him but he always insisted that I walked Noodle without him, no matter how much I tried to argue. One morning however, when I stopped outside his house to pick him up, I was instead greeted by Lucien, who was standing by the door- probably to avoid going near the dog.

"Good morning, Lucien," I said, flashing him a quick smile, "Where's Damien? Is he still in bed?"

"Nah," he answered, looking at his hand as he picked at his nail polish, "He's just not feeling too good right now."

"Oh no..." I went over to the fence, tying Noodle's leash to it and giving her a chin-scratch and dog biscuit before heading over to the door. "Is he ill?" I asked. Lucien shook his head, blocking the door with his arm and lowering his voice a little, his expression softening. "We had to go to some thing at school about my 'behaviour issues'," he explained, "And my teacher, she uh... refused to call him by his actual name."

"What do you mean?"

"She kept calling him Ms. instead of Mr.," he said, "He said it didn't bother him but..." Lucien shrugged, his voice trailing off as he unblocked the doorway. "I don't know how talkative he'll be right now, but I'm sure he'd appreciate your company." I nodded, heading upstairs to Damien's room. The door was slightly ajar and a warm orange light just escaped the gap. I knocked a few times and recieved a soft 'come in'. I slowly pushed the door open, spotting Damien sitting on his mattress, a candle on his bedside table giving off a warm glow in the room. I sat down beside him, and he leaned against me wordlessly, letting me wrapped my arms around him.

"Hey... Lucien told me about what happened yesterday..."

"It really isn't a problem," Damien told me. I frowned; I'd never seen him like this before. He was usually so alive, so enthusiastic, but now he just felt...dead.

"Damien, the fact that she refused to use your correct pronouns says more about her than it does about-"

"It wasn't that," he wriggled out of my embrace, running a hand through his hair as he went to open his curtains, "She sent Lucien out and told me that..." he paused for a moment to blow out the candle beside his bed, "My ' _unusual lifestyle'_  may have had an affect on his behaviour and that I should ' _tone it down a bit'_..." His voice trailed off again and he sat down on beside me once again. I took his hand in mine and he rested his head on my shoulder. There was silence for a while and I ran a hand through his hair, pulling him closer to me. When the silence ended, it was Damien who broke it, his voice soft and shakey. 

"Yesterday was fifteen years since Henry left."

I sighed, kissing the top of his head. "Oh, honey..." I embraced him tighter, "I know how hard it is when someone close to you dies, Damien, I-"

"He didn't die," he said, interrupting me and fiddling with the hem of his nightshirt, "He left me... after I became pregnant." He pulled away from me, reaching over to his bedside drawer and taking out a clean handkerchief, "I guess I was just feeling sensitive because of it." He wiped his eyes, standing up and going over to his closet, "It's really nothing to worry about, Logan. I promise."

I nodded, going up to him and hugging him from behind as he looked through his clothes. I felt him tense up for a second before relaxing, practically melting into my arms. "Don't you have a dog to walk?" He asked with a smile.

 

Letting go of him, I laughed and nodded. "I'll come check up on you later, yeah?"

"That would be wonderful, dear," Damien turned and kissed my lips, before pulling away and allowing me go back downstairs, calling after me, "I'll call you later!"

 

\--

 

"Did you know that it was in Victorian Britain that seaside holidays first became popular?"

We were laying on a blanket under an umbrella, the sun just starting to set over the sea. It had been a calm, peaceful afternoon- we'd gone down to the beach together (Damien had originally invited Lucien, but he'd said he didn't want to get in the way of his dad's time with his 'lame boyfriend'. Ouch.) and spent the rest of the day sunbathing (Though with the amount of sunblock Damien put on I doubt he tanned at all) and occassionally swimming (I just rolled up my pants and paddled, but Damien went all out with one of those all-in-one old fashioned swimsuit things, the nerd). It was now later and colder, so we'd decided to watch the sunset while we dried off.

"With the building of railways accross the country, it became much easier for people- rich and poor alike- to get to the coast," he continued to explain as he wrapped his towel tighter around his body, "Seaside resorts started popping up all over during the 1840's and 50's, and many of the traditions in the UK today stem from the attractions and shops they had back then." I listened as he spoke about the history of the seaside- which is way more interesting than it sounds, especially when coming from somebody as passionate/adorable as Damien. 

 

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, he went over to his bag, taking out his clothes from earlier. I sat up, suddenly noticing how cold it was getting. "Are we gonna start heading back soon?" I asked, to which he shook his head, pulling his shirt on over his swimsuit as a sort of jacket before shuffling closer to me, taking my hand as he did.

"I want to watch the sun go down," he said, "It's rather romantic, don't you think?" I wrapped an arm around and agreed, and for the next ten minutes or so we sat in relative silence as the sky slowly grew dark. 'Rather romantic' was an understatement- it was stupid and cheesey and cliche, but I loved every second of it. yes, the view was beautiful, but what made it so special was having Damien with me, his head resting against me as we watched the sun go down.

"Logan?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

I smiled, turning and kissing him gently on the lips. "I love you too." He rested his forehead on mine for a moment, and I tucked his hair behidn his ear before leaning in again. The kiss was slow and gentle, yet somehow full of passion. I remember it well- probably a bit too well.

 

That night when we arrived back at Damien's house was the first time we had sex. We both let eachother know that it had been a while since we'd done anything, yet it was amazing all the same- passionate and close and full of love and intimacy. We fell asleep in eachother's arms, his breath tickling my neck as I drifted off beside him. 

It was times like this when I could say for certain that moving to Maple Bay was one of the best decisions I'd ever made.


End file.
